It’s late spring, and photos of exaggerated smiles framing college acceptance letters populate Facebook newsfeeds.
“Where’s so-and-so going?” I asked. “UConn? Good for her. But oh–he’s going to UMass Amherst? Huh…I thought he was smarter than that!”
Wait, why did I say that? Why do I think that?
I remember going to a college hockey game several years ago with my dad. Hot chocolate in hand, I slid my burnt tongue over my teeth and surveyed the crowd. The high-energy atmosphere inside the rink always enchanted me: hockey is the greatest sport to watch. But that night I was more focused on the fans, picturing the nights I’d spend in the rowdy student section supporting my future college team with joyful profanities. I listened to the opposing fans go back and forth, “YOU SUCK (clap clap clap)” and “Warm up the bus!” and “Safety schoooool.”
I turned to my dad. “What did they say?”
“Safety school. You’ve never heard that? They’re basically saying any of them could have gone to your school, but it was their backup plan.” We laughed, poor sportsmanship is kind of hilarious. But I didn’t dream of being on the safety school side. I imagined wearing an Ivy League’s colors, not a state school’s.
I applied to colleges at the same time as all my friends, but in the end my indecision and craving for change took me on a gap year. Sometime between that day spent judgmentally scrolling my Facebook newsfeed and the day I returned home to the United States with a college decision secured, my future visions changed. Without huge enthusiasm, I “settled” for my state university: UMass Amherst.
Unfortunately, so many of the college freshmen I’ve met here shared my originally underwhelmed attitude. Hardly any say UMass was their first choice, but that they “really only came for the money.” Well, it’s clear now—we got a lot more than what we bargained for.
A state university is definitely not everyone’s academic safety net, but it is a financially safe decision. Maybe we’ve taken to calling them safety schools because by choosing them we protect ourselves from crippling lifelong debt. Or maybe it’s because we’re safe from the brutally long, cramped car rides with our parents in August and May…or from the potential lack of socioeconomic diversity at expensive private schools, which could limit our perspectives and friendships.
Sure, you could argue we just won’t compare with the scholars the “big name” universities produce, and some of us won’t. But any shortcomings won’t be for lack of opportunity. UMass Amherst is a dominant force in research, ranking third in the state in funding from the National Science Foundation–just behind MIT and Harvard. We represent 68 countries and 49 states and offer over 100 different majors to pursue for our bachelor’s degrees. We can take classes at any five of the local colleges in the area. And we’re also really well fed. If you are what you eat, we’re 2nd in the country according to the Princeton Review.
So, if you choose to attend your state school, you won’t have bragging rights. The name of your university printed on your resume is unlikely to raise many eyebrows or open many hidden doors, and when you say it in a British accent it will never sound as cool as Cornell, Dartmouth or Harvard. But it pays to remember that Connecticut residents aren’t all that impressed by UConn, and the University of Maryland sounds much more appealing to a student from Boston than one from D.C.
Wherever you are, it’s an accomplishment, it’s a gift, it’s an enormous opportunity. And wherever you go is not an indicator of how smart you are–it’s all about what you do there. So stop saying, “I’m just going to UMass,” like it’s a public restroom. Stop offering explanations as to why you didn’t go to a different school and not-so-casually hinting that you could have–nobody asked! Be proud of your friends at competitive, prestigious schools and cheer them on as they do big things. But be proud of yourself, too. No State School Shame!